Wellbeing 

Lockdown 4.0

It is easy to get angry, frustrated and upset when we enter a lockdown. So, our challenge is to try to find opportunities to focus on the positive things in our life. They are happening all around us and perhaps we just need some reframing of the issue. 

A simple activity you can take part in is to try the following called ‘Stop, Think and Appreciate’:

Use some sticky notes (or little pieces of paper with sticky tape if you don’t have sticky notes) and place them on objects around the house that you are grateful for. Eg. You might put one on your bed because you are grateful that each night you have a warm bed to hop into. Or you might put one on the TV because you are grateful you get the chance to watch a movie or a show with a family member.

Then go around checking the various sticky notes around the house and share the reasons why they have been selected. Eg. Dad is thankful for the kettle so he can enjoy his morning cuppa.

The challenge is designed for us to appreciate what we have in our life and try to shift our focus from the doom and gloom of a lockdown to things that we can be thankful for. You can even leave the sticky notes there as a reminder about those small things in life that we are grateful for. 

Respectful Relationships

The Respectful Relationships unit we will be covering for the remainder of this term is on Positive Coping. We are provided with a great opportunity to apply this during these uncertain times. 

We want our students to be able to:

  • Identify a range of coping strategies to help them deal with intense emotions
  • Identify the influence of self-talk on their actions and emotions
  • Identify and explain factors that influence effective communication in a variety of situations.

As they grow and develop, all children will encounter situations where they feel worried, nervous and sometimes even scared. Individuals deal with the demands on them by drawing on a range of coping strategies. Some strategies are more productive than others. Helping students to learn a range of positive coping skills allows them to develop and practise those skills and enable them to cope with future changes and challenges. Positive self-talk is a key strategy for coping with negative thoughts, emotions and events. Resilience research shows that use of positive self-talk is associated with greater persistence in the face of challenge, whereas negative self-talk is associated with higher levels of distress, depression and anxiety. Positive self-talk can be learnt or strengthened through practice.

Stay safe and keep the spirits up!

Michael Searl